Leaves foul morning rail commute

Martin B. Cassidy

Updated 9:32 pm, Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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Due to an especially bad case of "slippery rail," Metro-North power washed the New Canaan Line's rails of slimy leaf residue on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012. The machine, called "Water World," is a switching locomotive followed by two 10,000-gallon tanker cars, followed by the washer/scrubber car which has a compressor and two high pressure nozzles that spray water at 10,000 pounds per square inch onto the top of the rails, followed by another locomotive. less

Due to an especially bad case of "slippery rail," Metro-North power washed the New Canaan Line's rails of slimy leaf residue on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012. The machine, called "Water World," is a switching ... more

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

Image 2 of 3

Due to an especially bad case of "slippery rail," Metro-North power washed the New Canaan Line's rails of slimy leaf residue on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012. The machine, called "Water World," is a switching locomotive followed by two 10,000-gallon tanker cars, followed by the washer/scrubber car which has a compressor and two high pressure nozzles that spray water at 10,000 pounds per square inch onto the top of the rails, followed by another locomotive. less

Due to an especially bad case of "slippery rail," Metro-North power washed the New Canaan Line's rails of slimy leaf residue on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012. The machine, called "Water World," is a switching ... more

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

Image 3 of 3

Due to an especially bad case of "slippery rail," Metro-North power washed the New Canaan Line's rails of slimy leaf residue on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012. The machine, called "Water World," is a switching locomotive followed by two 10,000-gallon tanker cars, followed by the washer/scrubber car which has a compressor and two high pressure nozzles that spray water at 10,000 pounds per square inch onto the top of the rails, followed by another locomotive. less

Due to an especially bad case of "slippery rail," Metro-North power washed the New Canaan Line's rails of slimy leaf residue on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012. The machine, called "Water World," is a switching ... more

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

Leaves foul morning rail commute

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STAMFORD -- A day after announcing regular train service would resume on the New Canaan Branch for the first time since Superstorm Sandy, Metro-North Railroad was again forced to resort to bus service Tuesday, after rain and wet leaves made rails too slippery for locomotives.

On Tuesday afternoon, the railroad dispatched a grime-fighting machine, Waterworld, which sprays highly-pressurized water on the rails to clear the leafy gunk.

The cleanup required the suspension of New Canaan Branch train service and the substitution of buses, with regularly scheduled trains resuming with the 3:57 p.m. train from Stamford.

Overnight rain and a glut of fallen leaves along the line created "slippery rail" conditions on the just-relaunched branch line which had been shut down for 15 days due to damaged overhead power and signal wire equipment, rail spokeswoman Marjorie Anders said. When train wheels crush leaves, rails become covered with a slimy substance called pectin, which causes trains to slide.

"After a suspension of two weeks and one day, we had to have a rainy morning," Anders said.

On Tuesday, the condition caused delays across the New Haven Line as well as the Danbury and Waterbury branches. On the New Canaan Branch, the condition caused delays of between 30 and 40 minutes during the rush hour before the decision was made to revert to bus service.

After completing its New Canaan Branch cleanup, Metro-North will use Waterworld overnight into Wednesday to scour the outside tracks on the New Haven Line between New Rochelle and South Norwalk, the outside tracks on the Hudson Line between Yankee Stadium to Tarrytown, and all four tracks of the main line from the Bronx to Grand Central Terminal, Anders said.

Waterworld consists of a switching locomotive followed by two 10,000-gallon tanker cars, with a washer/scrubber car that has a compressor and two high pressure nozzles that spray water at 10,000 pounds per square inch onto the rails, followed by another locomotive.

"It heats up the water as it is compressed and basically gets rid of the slime," Anders said.

Mid-day service on the branch line was replaced by buses to allow the train to work, Anders said.

Metro-North used a specially outfitted pickup truck-like vehicle, called a rail washer, to clean off the New Canaan Branch rails overnight, but Tuesday morning it became apparent it had not washed away enough of pectin to avoid problems.

Slippery rail conditions on the New Canaan Branch are especially problematic near Talmadge Hill station which passes through several steeper grades, requiring slower travel when rails are covered in wet leaves.

"Talmadge Hill is really a problem because a steep grade makes it really impossible," Anders said. "We're trying to get the regular schedule back on track."

Natalie Owens, of Norwalk, said in Springdale Tuesday afternoon she was hoping train service would return in time for a trip she had to make back to Springdale Tuesday evening. Using bus service on the New Canaan Branch last week has created additional angst in her daily commute.

"You don't know if they are going to be coming early or late and if the drivers will know what they are doing," Owens said. "I've been miserable."